A rotatable disc-peg probe device having an electrical conducting rim switch

ABSTRACT

A device for the determination of random decisions, in which a peg is inserted into one of many holes in the top surface of the unit. An electric light bulb, or other signal device operated by an internal battery is also mounted on the face of the unit. Manual insertion of the peg through the selected hole may or may not be blocked by a perforated rotatable disc with through passage of the peg resulting in the contacting of a spring supported solid disc switch member which turns the light bulb or other electrical signal to the ON mode to signal a positive decision when an electrically conduction rim on the underside of the solid disc makes electrical contact with an electrically conducting rim supported by the unit.

llite atent H 1 [111 399999 l-laradyn May 7, 19M

[54] ROTATABLE DISCiPEG PROBE DEVICE 446,388 7/1927 Germany 273/135 A HAVING AN ELECTRICAL N C G 360,230 9/1922 Germany 273/142 HA RIM SWITCH [75] Inventor: Dan Haradyn, Hamilton, Ontario,

Canada [73] Assignee: The Raymond Lee Organization,

Inc., New York, NY.

[22] Filed: Feb. 13, 11973 [21] Appl. No.: 332,065

[52] U.S. Cl. 273/139 [51] Int. Cl. A63f 9/00 [58] Field of Search 273/138 A, 139, 142 H,

, 273/142 HA, 142 B, 142 R, 142 A, 142 C, 273/142 D, 142 E, 142 F, 142 G, 142 J, 142 JA 273/142 JB,142 JC,142 JD, 142 K, 1 E, 134 A,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,401,940 /1968 Abram 273/139 1,200,340 10/1916 Greenwood 273/139 557,646 4/1896 Booth 273/138 A FORElGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 7,770 0/1896 Great Britain 273/134 A Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle Assistant Examiner-Arnold W. Kramer Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Howard l. Podell [57] ABSTRACT A device for the determination of random decisions, in which a peg is inserted into one of many holes in the top surface of the unit. An electric light bulb, or other signal device operated by an internal battery is also mounted on the face of the unit. Manual insertion of the peg through the selected hole may or may not be blocked by a perforated rotatable disc with through passage of the peg resulting in the contacting of a spring supported solid disc switch member which turns the light bulb or other electrical signal to the ON mode to signal a positive decision when an electrically conduction rim on the underside of the solid disc makes electrical contact with an electrically conducting rim supported by the unit.

1 Claim, 2 Drawing Figures r a l 42 mk 32 I8 27 I v PATENTEDMY 11914 I O I I cocoa oo o o FIG.2

I ROTATABLE DISC-PEG PROBE DEVICE HAVING AN ELECTRICAL CONDUCTING RIM SWITCH SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a device for determination of a random decison or other choice and particularly to a device equipped with an electrical signal which may or may not indicate when a peg is inserted into one of many holes in a face of the device.

An advantage of this device is that such random choices may be made repetitively without prior indication as to the result of such choice, since the mechanism which determines the result is hidden from view.

The device consists of a circular shaped apparatus with a series of holes located in the top disc-shaped face of the housing on which an electric light bulb is also located. A second disc is rotatably mounted inside the housing directly below the said top face. A lesser quantity of similarly shaped holes are located in said second disc. The holes of the second disc are vertically aligned with the holes of the top face so that when the second disc is rotated to a random position with regard to the top face, some of the holes of the second disc are directly opposite some of the holes ofthe top face, with the remainder of the holes of the top face blocked by the second disc with respect to passage of a peg manually inserted in such holes in the top face. A peg which is inserted in a hole in the top face that is vertically aligned with a hole in the second disc may be pushed through both said holes so as to exert pressure on a third disc which establishes the switching contact to electrically complete the battery circuit of the external light bulb or other electrical signal, thus indicating a positive decision.

It is to be noted that such random decisions play a critical role in many current probability-based strategies. The device may be designed by appropriate spacing of the holes in the top face and in the second disc, and by the particular ratio of such holes to each other, to supply positive decisionsof any desired probability ratio.

Thus the apparatus may be supplied in one model designed for the timid player of a game, where the probability of reading a positive decision will be threequarters while the model supplied for the overaggressive type of player may have a probability of arriving at a positive decision of less than one-half.

' BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The objects and features of the invention may be understood with reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention, taken together with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. I is a perspective view of the device; and

FIGv 2 is a sectional view, in elevation, of the device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, FIGS. 11-2 illustrate the device which is formed in a cylindrical shape and enclosed in a hollow housing 40 with a top face 11 in which a series of through holes 12 are perforated. A

central hub 23 is rotatably mounted with respect to the top face 111, with a transparent housing 16 on top of said hub enclosing an electric light bulb 17.

In describing the device II), the terms such as horizontal," vertical," above and below apply to the device when installed in the operating position shown in FIGS. 1-2.

Electric light bulb 17 is connected by one wire 19 internally to one battery clip 32, which together with the other battery clip 33 holds battery 31 fixed. The other electric wire 18 connected to light bulb 17 is attached to a fixed circular metal washer 27. Theouter circumference of washer 27 is fixed to the inner circumference of the side of the housing 40. Washer 27 lies parallel to, and directly under, a metal washer 26 mounted on switch disc 25. Metal washer 26 is freely mounted about the internal vertical radial shaft 34 which supports the hub 23 of the device from the inside bottom of the housing 40. The switch disc 25, which is fixed to washer 26, rides on coiled compression spring 14 mounted about vertical shaft 34. Spring 14 physically I and electrically separates washer 26 from contact with fixed washer 27, except when vertical downward pressure is exerted on disc 25. A peg 15, which may be manually inserted in a particular hole 12 in the top face and pass through an aligned hole 22 in disc 42 creates such downward applied pressure and acts to electrically complete the electrical circuit and turn light bulb 17 ON since battery clip 33 is connected by wire 45 to washer 26.

Disc 42 is fixed to radial hub 23 so as to lie in a plane parallel to the top face 11 of the device, with disc 42 located just below the top face 11. A number of holes 22 are located in disc 42, but of a lesser number than the quantity of holes in top face 1 I. The location of the holes 22, in disc 42, with relation to each other is such that with a random rotational position of disc 42, some holes 22 will be vertically aligned with some holes 12 of the top face 11. Such alignment permits peg 15,

which is of a diameter to freely pass through aligned holes 12 and holes 22,'to contact switch disc 25. An internal stop 47 may be located on the internal side wall of housing 40 to prevent disc 42 from being pushed into contact with switch disc 25, when the peg 15 is inserted into a hole 12 which is blocked by disc 42.

The quantity and location of the holes 22 in disc 42 with respect to the array of holes in face 11 will determine the probability of arriving at a positive decision, when the peg is inserted into a hole in face 11. It is also possible to vary the probability with respect to the radial location of each hole in top face 11 so as to include a learning characteristic in the device, where so desired. Such learning characteristics would be based on the allocation of the holes 22 spaced in disc 42 at various radial distances on disc 42.

Since obvious changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention described herein, such modifications being within the spirit and scope of the invention claimed, it is indicated that all matter contained herein is intended as illustrative and not as limiting in scope.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A device for assisting in the arriving at random decisions, comprising:

a hollow cylindrical housing with a fixed top face in which through holes are located in a circular configuration,

a signal indicator which is electrically actuated,

a hidden circular disc mounted inside the housing to a hub which is rotatably mounted and protrudes above the surface of the top face of the housing, said rotatable circular disc being fitted with through holes of a lesser number than the quantity of holes located in the top face of the housing, together with,

internal switch means to actuate the signal indicator only when a peg is manually inserted into a hole in the top face which is vertically aligned with a hole in the circular disc, the tip of said peg, in passing through the hole in the circular disc actuating said internal switch means;

said switch means consisting of a solid disc concentrically mounted about the hub and located below the perforated rotatable disc, said solid disc being fitted on its underside with a rim of electrically conductive material which serves as one pole of a switch, and

a rim of electrically conductive material fastened to the inside periphery of the cylindrical housing below the underside surface of the solid disc which serves as the second pole of a switch,

said solid disc being located so that the undersurface rim of the solid disc normally is spaced apart from the housing rim; means resiliently supporting said solid disc so that when an insulated peg is inerted into a hole in the top face and into an aligned hole in the perforated rotatable disc, the tip of said peg may be pressed against said solid disc, to overcome said resilient supporting means so that the electrically conducting rim on the underside of the solid rim makes electrical contact with the rim fixed to the housing wall to complete an electrical circuit, with the housing rim electrically connected to one side of the electrical signal indicator circuit and the disc rim connected to the other side of Said signal indicator circuit. 

1. A device for assisting in the arriving at random decisions, comprising: a hollow cylindrical housing with a fixed top face in which through holes are located in a cIrcular configuration, a signal indicator which is electrically actuated, a hidden circular disc mounted inside the housing to a hub which is rotatably mounted and protrudes above the surface of the top face of the housing, said rotatable circular disc being fitted with through holes of a lesser number than the quantity of holes located in the top face of the housing, together with, internal switch means to actuate the signal indicator only when a peg is manually inserted into a hole in the top face which is vertically aligned with a hole in the circular disc, the tip of said peg, in passing through the hole in the circular disc actuating said internal switch means; said switch means consisting of a solid disc concentrically mounted about the hub and located below the perforated rotatable disc, said solid disc being fitted on its underside with a rim of electrically conductive material which serves as one pole of a switch, and a rim of electrically conductive material fastened to the inside periphery of the cylindrical housing below the underside surface of the solid disc which serves as the second pole of a switch, said solid disc being located so that the undersurface rim of the solid disc normally is spaced apart from the housing rim; means resiliently supporting said solid disc so that when an insulated peg is inerted into a hole in the top face and into an aligned hole in the perforated rotatable disc, the tip of said peg may be pressed against said solid disc, to overcome said resilient supporting means so that the electrically conducting rim on the underside of the solid rim makes electrical contact with the rim fixed to the housing wall to complete an electrical circuit, with the housing rim electrically connected to one side of the electrical signal indicator circuit and the disc rim connected to the other side of said signal indicator circuit. 